We put a premium on getting more people to see the reality. For us, having people come to a deeper understanding of the historical Bedouin life and traditions and how those are being changed over time is urgent. Questions?

The ways in which Um al-Khair brought me in as if I had always been there not only showcases its desire to connect with the world, but also highlights its steadfastness in the face of adversity.

Aaron Bhatoya

United States

What people are saying

Thank you so much for welcoming our Church of Scotland Behind the Wall Group to Um al-Khair. Everyone spoke warmly of our visit and of how impressed they were by your commitment to nonviolent resistance.

Good Shepherd Collective

We are a collective of individuals and organizations seeking to change the structures that perpetuate violence in the Holy Land. We understand violence to be rooted in the structures and laws that guide civil formation and order. As such, we reject the binary discourse of “Israelis vs. Palestinians” and operate within an oppression model of understanding violence, peacemaking, and justice.

Coronavirus Support

The coronavirus impacts each community in different ways. The village of Um al-Khair is particularly vulnerable and needs your support. Click here to see how you can help.

Our Olive Trees

For Palestinians, the olive tree carries a message of hope and sumud. When we look to the olive tree, we are reminded of our history in this land and how Palestinian people can survive anything. For many small Palestinian villages, like Um al-Khair, the olive tree is very important in the community. A lot of families rely on the olive tree to take care of them for the entire year, gathering enough olive oil and collecting enough olives until the following season. Your willingness to stand in solidarity with these small Palestinian communities gives many families hope. Join us in this important act of resistance and help us plant olive trees for the future.

How the Good Shepherd Collective is building a movement of solidarity

Like many other Palestinian communities, our lives have been characterized by displacement and resisting further displacement. Our lives have been in a constant form of resistance in the pursuit of justice.

Tariq Hathaleen, Good Shepherd Collective

While we’ve watched nearly all our homes be demolished, and the communities around us be demolished, or at least live under the threat of demolition – we have hope. We have hope because we’ve been a part of successful campaigns and know that solidarity between broad movements can usher in justice.

Eid Hathaleen, Good Shepherd Collective

When people come to the communities and listen to our stories, when we talk about all of these painful events in the context of international law, people become invested this movement of justice. We continue to believe because we see the movement for justice growing.

Resist with us

Our ability to stay active on the ground in the face of ongoing oppression and violence is reliant on your material support. Please consider joining this movement by being a money financial contributor to the Good Shepherd Collective.